Pro Kabaddi League Season 5: Five player battles to watch out for in the Jaipur leg
The last month of season five of the Pro Kabaddi League is upon us as we now move into the Jaipur leg.
Teams playing at home have generally done well this season, but the Tamil Thalaivas lost all their home matches, eliminating them from the race for the playoff spots.
The Jaipur Pink Panthers are still in with a good chance of making the playoffs from Zone A and would be focused on ensuring they win as many of their home matches as possible.
With the race for the playoff spots getting very competitive, all 12 teams would be keen to do all they can to put themselves in a better position to qualify.
The Panthers play six matches in the coming week and would be banking on stringing together wins to improve their position in the table as they look to qualify.
Here are five player battles from the Jaipur leg that would be the most entertaining:
Pawan Kumar Kadian (Jaipur Pink Panthers) vs Abozar Mighani (Gujarat Fortunegiants)
Jaipur have relied heavily on raider Pawan Kumar Kadian as they make a push to try and qualify for the playoffs.
With lead raider Jasvir Singh having played only 10 matches and emerging youngster Selvamani going through injury struggles, the surprising emergence of Kadian has helped the Pink Panthers steady themselves.
Pawan Kumar Kadian has scored 92 points in 14 matches and has been their most important player. His raiding style emphasises point touches and with his athleticism and strength, he is also good at going for broke.
Gujarat's Abozar Mighani has had a great tournament so far and has scored 52 tackle points in 18 matches. His play as right corner has been impressive and his ankle holds and smart dives have helped restrict opponents.
The Iranian has formed a great partnership with countryman Fazel Atrachali and would be the most crucial player for the Fortunegiants as they take on the Pink Panthers.